The legal team at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton had a strong commitment to injury victims throughout the greater Provo area. We believe that the injured and their loved ones deserve strong legal advocates who will work with them to achieve justice. This is especially important when it comes to construction accidents that cause serious injuries to workers or civilians. In many of these cases, the injuries could have been prevented with a little more caution.
Some of the biggest dangers at construction sites come from above. By that we mean objects that fall from buildings or scaffolding. Given the dangers they pose, we’d like to explore the matter in more detail right now.
The Dangers of Falling Objects
When objects fall, the injuries they can cause can be extremely serious. These kinds of injuries are especially serious at constitution sites. Whenever working on roofs or on scaffolds, or even when working from a higher floor of a building or a cherry picker, an object may drop and cause serious harm in the process.
Large items such as major power tools, cranes, and building materials (e.g., bricks, boards, beams, girders) can lead to major injuries. Yet even much smaller objects can cause significant harm when they fall. A simple claw hammer or crescent wrench, for example, gains a tremendous amount of force when falling from just a few feet up. As these objects strike people below, they can cause serious head trauma and even lasting brain injuries.
Brain Injuries Can Have Long-Term Repercussions
Brain damage and trauma to the head should never be taken lightly. Major brain injuries can have lasting results, causing people to experience concussions as well as impairment of their cognitive abilities and motor skills. A person’s life can literally be changed forever because of an object striking them in the head unexpectedly. This is why safety measures must be noted at all times.
Head Protection Is Crucial
People who work at construction sites should wear head protection at all times, particularly when there is a very real danger of falling objects. A simple hard hat can mean the difference between life and death in some cases. At the very lead, a hard hat can prevent severe brain injuries and head trauma, which means an accident victim will not experience the worst potential injuries following an incident.
Practicing Proper Safety at Work Sites
In addition to wearing hard hats, workers should practice common sense safety when working from any sort of height. Large objects and small objects should be kept away from ledges where they can fall and do harm. Items that can be secured to prevent falling below ought to be secured. These basic means of preventing injuries can protect all people at the work site.
Protecting Bystanders and Civilians
It’s also imperative that precautions be taken to prevent injuries to civilians. Falling objects can seriously harm non-workers who are passing by a construction site. These falling items may strike them in the head directly, leading to major harm. All potential hazards ought to be kept well away from any areas commonly traversed by pedestrians. When a hazard is present, workers should clear the area from pedestrians until the item is secured and cannot pose a potential source of injury.
Speak with the Lawyers of Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton
For more information about your legal options following a serious construction accident, be sure to contact our team of persona injury lawyers today. The attorneys of Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton are here for you.